'When was the last time you were out in the northern paddock, Gemma?' Dave asked casually.
'Oh, I don't know.' Surprised, Gemma stopped to think. 'Jack had been covering that part of the place since he arrived. Probably two weeks, I guess. There's sheep out there so between Jack and Bulla they would have been watching them pretty closely.'
'Haven't had any problems reported to you then?'
'No, everything seems to be going pretty well.'
'Do you or any of your neighbours own any Hereford cattle?'
'I don't,' Gemma said. 'And my neighbours don't either. Not boundary-fence neighbours anyway. Why?'
'Well, we found quite a few Hereford cattle in your northern paddock while we were out looking around. Are you saying they aren't yours?' Dave asked quietly, while Craig looked at the table, avoiding Jess's eyes.
'No, they aren't mine,' Gemma said calmly.
'Well, we are going to have to ask you to come back to the Port Pirie police station and make a statement to that effect. This matter has become quite serious. There was nearly a hundred grand worth of cattle on your property that wasn't yours.'
'Did you find anything else that shouldn't have been on Billbinya?' Gemma asked.
'We did find a stock-stealing kit – panels, a couple of dogs and some wire – that we believe belongs to Jack Marshall.'
Gemma's mouth fell open. 'Really?'
'Yes. We have photographic evidence that they were his. That doesn't clear you, Gemma. You own Billbinya and therefore you're responsible for what is found on your station.'
Gemma nodded. 'Absolutely. I don't have a problem with that. However, I have come across some information that I believe you will find quite interesting. Can you get it, Jess?' Gemma asked and turned back to the men.
'On Saturday after I came home from hospital . . .'
Dave interrupted. 'Gemma, would you have any problem with me taping this conversation? Bear in mind this tape will be used in our evidence file. You won't be able to retract anything you say.'
'No worries, Dave,' Gemma said confidently.
'Okay, what did you want to tell me?' Dave asked when he hit the record button.
'What I know about this stock-stealing ring.'
Dave raised his eyebrows. 'Do I need to caution you?'
'No. I'll happily tell you everything I know. Okay, it started when the wethers were taken out of the yards . . .'
'Hang on, for the benefit of the tape we are in Billbinya Station's kitchen. Present are Dave Burrows, Craig Buchanan, Gemma Sinclair and . . .' Dave looked inquiringly at Jess, who had returned to the room carrying a large paper bag.
'Jess Rawlings,' Craig supplied.
'Jess Rawlings. Time is 11.27 am and we are taking Gemma Sinclair's statement.' He indicated for Gemma to begin.
Gemma started with how Bulla had found the stolen wethers on Billbinya. She told about Patrick finding the mobile phone and reading the text messages and handed over the diary for back-up evidence. Then she explained about how she asked Jess to go through the books and they had found that payments to Adam's parents had been made, but not from the Billbinya operating account, and the payments for the feedlot cattle had gone into the operating account. It was through Jess's phone call to Rodney Woods that they had found that Adam was making the payments from another bank account Gemma hadn't known about. They surmised that this is where the proceeds had been credited to.
Gemma stopped and got herself a glass of water.
'Then on Saturday, when we arrived home, Ben was here with the feedlot contracts for the last three years and the one for this year. The last two years have been signed by a G.R. Sinclair, but the signature isn't mine. It's been forged.' Once again she handed over the evidence. She then told of how she, Jess and Patrick had decided to search for the bank statements from this new account and how Patrick had found them.
'We'll need to see where,' Dave interrupted her.
'No worries. While Pat was searching Jess and I looked up Jack Marshall on Google and we came up with this article.' Gemma nodded to Jess who produced the printout. 'Jack was working here and Brad has been going out with Jess for the last eight months – to get information about me, it seems. Possibly to find out how much I knew, if anything, about the stock stealing. I'd assume that's why Jack ended up applying for the job. He must have seen it advertised and thought it was a good way to find out if I knew anything. Then we opened the box.' Gemma stopped. This was the hard bit. This was where her husband turned into the person she didn't know. Swallowing hard, she continued. 'The box was a bit of a keepsake thing of Adam's. It was made for him by one of his good mates who committed suicide some time ago and in it were the bank statements we were looking for. Also there was a letter to me admitting his guilt, and an envelope addressed to the police.' Jess put the paper bag on the table and pushed it towards Craig. 'Everything that we know is in there. I can't tell you anything more.'
Dave scanned the newspaper article while Craig looked at the text messages on the mobile phone. The tape player clicked off and they all jumped, having forgotten it was on. Dave checked his watch. 'Interview suspended at 13.02,' he said absently.
'Can you open the letter while you're here?' Gemma asked hopefully. 'I want to know how it all happened.'
'We need to follow a few procedures first, like finger printing it, making sure it isn't a fake. I'd also like to take Adam's diaries for the past two years. You've only given me last year's.'
'I'll get them.' Gemma got up and went to the office. She returned holding two leather-bound diaries with Adam's initials embossed on the covers in gold. Handing them to Dave she said, 'This does clear me, doesn't it?'
'I won't be able to say for sure until I look through all of this info and analyse it. Can I get Craig to fingerprint you, Jess and Patrick so we can eliminate your fingerprints on all of this?'
'Sure, although Patrick isn't here – he went back to Hayelle this morning.'
'If you give us directions, we'll call in on the way back.'
Craig went out to the car to fetch the fingerprinting kit. He fingerprinted both Gemma and Jess, gently holding their fingers and rolling them on the evidence cards. Jess looked around to see if Dave was watching, hooked her blackened finger around Craig's top button and pulled him towards her. She whispered, 'How's about that drink soon, Detective?' and released him before Dave turned around. Craig flushed and nodded ever so slightly.
Dave and Craig climbed back into their fourwheel drive and headed to Hayelle. Gemma rang and left a message for Patrick to let him know they were coming and why.
Gemma watched the dust settle in the drive after the vehicle had left. Jess came and stood by her.
'Reckon it's sorted?' Gemma asked.
'Guess we won't really know until the last arrest has been made, but I think so. Changing the subject completely, that Craig is a bit of a hottie, hey?'
Gemma rolled her eyes.
Brad lay on his bed with his wife, the woman he loved. They had met unexpectedly and Brad had been immediately struck by her – especially once he had discovered that they shared certain goals, and a determination to stop at nothing to achieve them. It didn't matter to either of them that the other was unfaithful at times. If it had to happen, it was all in aid of making more money, making sure that the people who were helping them had more to lose than they themselves did.
It had been his idea to start the stock-stealing ring and she'd agreed it was a brilliant plan. They had been involved in this business for many years now and, although they preferred to steal stock from the far northern reaches of Australia, where the owners never knew exactly how many cattle they ran, and there were parts of those stations no one went to for months, that option had gone out of the window when Brad and Jack had aroused the interest of the Queensland stock squad about six years ago.
The downside of these full-scale operations, Brad reflected, was that he and his beloved didn't get to spend much time together. They had decided it was
too risky.
But now they were together, discussing the big operation they had coming up – by far the most daring they had tried to pull off. His woman had a history with Gemma Sinclair, and she wanted Gemma hurt – and, with any luck, behind bars.
'Are you sure she doesn't suspect anything?' his wife asked. 'You haven't got a line in there now that Jack has stuffed up and you're not seeing Jess anymore.'
'I'm sure the stock squad would have found those cattle while they were looking around and I'm pretty sure that they would be talking to her very seriously if not arresting her. She hasn't got a leg to stand on, you know.' Brad stopped to enjoy the beautiful smile spreading across his woman's face.
'How wonderful,' she murmured. 'Jail is the only place she deserves to be after everything she did. It was all her fault, you know.'
'I know, darling, I know.' Brad put his arm around her and kissed her soundly. 'This last job will be perfect. Who would imagine that Gemma Sinclair, Miss Perfect, would steal from her own parents? Especially when her father is so desperately sick and unable to do anything about it.' They laughed together.
* * *
Dave was on the phone to his superior in Perth as they drove back towards Pirie.
'Yeah, I understand that, but we need some more uniforms on the ground, okay? We need twenty-fourhour surveillance on two persons of interest. Jack Marshall is still on the run. We haven't managed to track him down yet.' Dave listened then said, 'Thanks mate.' He hung up. 'Beauty, we've got the extra manpower.'
'Want me to do the background on these other two and follow up some of the other facts from Adam's letter to us?' Craig asked. Dave glanced across at him, his eyes taking in the fingerprint ink on his shirt.
'Yeah, we'll do that first. Let's not go half-cocked. Slip with the ink, did ya mate?' Dave nodded towards the stain. Craig's face flamed and Dave laughed. 'Wish ya would learn to play poker better when it comes to personal things, mate!'
'Let's concentrate on the job at hand, shall we?' Craig asked primly. He hadn't had a chance to think about Jess and how he was going to handle the situation. All he knew was he wanted to get to know Jess better.
They pulled into the station. With his partner's assent, Craig headed to the computer and phone while Dave headed to Geoff Hay's office to give him an update.
Some time later, as Dave was walking back into Craig's office, he heard Craig on the phone.
'Yep. I understand. Sure we can get a warrant for the infor mation.' Pause. 'I'll see you on Wednesday. Thanks for your help.'
'Got anything?' Dave asked.
'Yeah, reckon I have. It appears that Brad Manstead attended a psychiatrist's office in Adelaide. He saw Dr Tom Dyason for three years from 1995 to 1998. Dyason won't give me any info until I get a warrant. This may be where he met the other person of interest. I'll go see the judge for a warrant today and I've organised to see Dr Dyason on Wednesday. I also checked out BJN Abattoir; the shares were left to Brad by his father. Jack is his half-brother – different mothers. That clarifies the piece of info that was in the letter. What's interesting, though, is that BJN has a silent partner, so I want to know who that is. I have a feeling it will confirm the other piece of info in Adam's letter. Just need to get onto the company records department . . .'
Dave clapped his shoulder. 'Good work. Right, get that warrant application drawn up and we'll go and interview this other POI. I've been on the phone and he's getting ready to leave the state on an extended holiday.'
'Is that right? When does he leave?'
'Wednesday apparently, so we've got two days – well, a day and a half – to break him.'
Dave and Craig walked up the pathway of a nicelooking house. The garden was well tended and it looked like the house had been freshly painted. Knocking on the door, the two men looked around, hoping to see something that indicated this man had more money than his wages accounted for.
A well-dressed mature lady opened the door with a smile. 'Hello? Can I help you?'
'G'day.' Dave held up his ID. 'I'm Detective Dave Burrows from the stock squad and this is Detective Craig Buchanan.' As he was talking Ned Jones appeared at his wife's shoulder.
'G'day, fellas. Still investigating I see.' Turning to his wife he said, 'I'll fix this up, love. It's got to do with the stock stealing that's been happening out Gemma's way.'
Rosemary smiled and excused herself. 'I've got heaps of packing to do,' she said. 'We're going to the Northern Territory for a big break. We've never had a long holiday, have we, Ned? I've never been able to get him off the phone – too busy with the stock business! Well, I'll see you later.' She disappeared into the house.
'Can we have a chat about some of this business then, Ned?'
'Yep.' He stood there with his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels. Defiant.
'Want to do it here or down at the station?' Dave asked, just as bold.
Ned stopped rocking and sighed. 'Okay, let's go. I'll just tell Rose.'
The interview room was cold, even though the wintery sun shone. Ned shivered and zipped up his jacket. Craig was setting up the recording equipment and Dave had placed a cup of coffee in front of Ned. Wrapping his hands around it, Ned asked, 'So why do you need to record this again? I don't know anything more than what I've told you. Do I need a lawyer?'
'Why would you need a lawyer, Ned? You haven't done anything wrong – you just said so. Nah, we just want to clarify a few matters that have come to light recently. We like to record interviews so we don't miss anything. Are you ready, Craig?'
'Yep. Let's go.'
'We are interviewing Ned Jones at . . .' Dave went through the spiel of identifying everyone for the tape and then said, 'Ned, can you clarify your relationship with Adam Sinclair?'
'Ah, he was a client of mine for many years, until his death. His father was also a client before him.'
'And what do you do for your clients exactly?'
'I source markets for their stock and sell them for a commission. I can also organise the trucking of the stock. If the client wants to buy stock I usually know of animals that would suit the enterprise and can purchase the stock on the client's behalf.'
'Are you a full partner in this firm?'
'Yes I am. Bert made me a partner fifteen years ago.'
'Pay well?' Dave leaned back, looking interested.
'Yeah, I get three per cent of everything I buy and sell. I've been very lucky.'
'Have you always lived in Pirie?'
Ned suddenly looked uncomfortable. 'Why is that relevant?'
'Just curiosity really. Trying to get a picture of your life.'
Ned relaxed. 'No, Rose and I lived down in the south-east of South Australia for a few years when our kids were little. That's where I trained as a stockie. Naracoorte. We were there for eight years before I got offered this position with Bert, and I'd been here about three years before Bert offered me a partnership.'
'Marriage happy?'
Ned's face broke into a smile. 'Oh yeah. Rose is great. We've had times like everyone I guess – 'specially when the kids were small – but we're very happy together.'
Dave smiled. 'That's great. Nothing better than a good marriage. Gives you so much security, hey? Now listen.' Dave leaned forward with a serious look on his face. 'We really need some help. This is why you're here. We're struggling. Can't find much info but we keep getting snippets and stockies are on the ground all the time. We know that you guys know what's going on around most farms, so we're hoping you can help us.' Dave paused, wondering how to phrase the next part. 'We were out at Billbinya last week and there are some cattle there that aren't Gemma's. Have you sold any to her recently?'
Ned looked quite comfortable with this line of questioning. 'No, I haven't.'
'Do you think she'd have used another stock agent?'
'No, she's always used me . . . Well, Ben now, since he's taken on her account. But not another firm.'
'Okay. On Friday night, while we were out on the property,
she was attacked by Jack Marshall. Do you know him?'
Ned started at this piece of information. 'Attacked? What do you mean attacked?'
'She was bashed around a bit. She's okay, but hurt badly enough to require medical attention.'
'Shit. Oh, bloody hell.' Ned's face had started to grow red and his hands had begun to shake.
Dave looked at him and said, 'Hey, take it easy, buddy. She's okay. No harm done. Do you need a doctor?'
Ned shook his head and took a deep breath.
Dave watched him carefully. 'You like Gemma then?'
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